Written By Admin
on
Monday, August 1, 2016
|
8:38:00 AM

Coconut ( Cocos nucifera) is a healthy and nutritious fruit that grows on the tree of the same name and belongs to Cocos nucifera palm genus. It is available in many varieties and are grown in many parts of the world but the major producer of coconuts are Indonesia, Philippines, India, Brazil and Sri Lanka. Eating Coconut is very beneficial for our health and also for our skin and hair because of the number of nutrients like vitamins,minerals, antioxidants,lauric acid and other compounds present in it.Although coconut is beneficial for us and provides a lot of health and beauty benefits but it is important to remember that too much of “anything” is bad and there are some side effects of eating too many coconuts. In this article, we will know about the major side effects of eating too many coconuts and why we should avoid eating too many coconuts.

(1) High Level Of Sugar

One of the major side effects of eating too many coconuts is the accumulation of too much sugar in our blood stream because of the high sugar content present in it. It has been found that eating one ounce serving of dried, unsweetened coconut has 2.1 grams of sugar and the sweetened coconut of the same serving can provide around 10.4 grams of sugar. Because of this unexpectedly high level of sugar present in both coconuts, it is advised to eat coconut in moderation as too much of sugar is bad for our health and can increase the risk of diabetes. According to the American heart Association eating a diet high in added sugar can also increase the risk of obesity ( which can, in turn, increase the risk of cardiovascular problems , respiratory problems, liver problems, gastrointestinal problems etc. )and because of this, it is advised to limiting the added sugar to 100 calories per day ( for women) and 150 calories per day ( for man ). The risk of “too much sugar” can be further decreased by giving preference to unsweetened coconut and saying no to sweetened coconut because unsweetened coconut contains about 5 times less sugar than sweetened coconut.

(2) Increases Blood Cholestrol Levels

Eating too many coconuts can be very harmful to our heart and increases the risk of cardiovascular problems like heart attack, heart stroke, irregular heartbeat, atherosclerosis etc. because of the high amount of saturated fats present in coconut. Around 90 percent of the total fat present in coconut is saturated fat and eating too much of saturated fats can increase the blood cholesterol level in our body and give rise to cardiovascular problems like heart attack, heart stroke, atherosclerosis etc. It is important to note that coconut becomes a problem for our heart only when to eat them too much but if we are eating them in moderation then it can help in keeping cholesterol level under control by decreasing bad cholesterol level and increasing good cholesterol level ( because of the presence of medium chain triglycerides ) . According to American Heart Association, saturated fats should not make more than 7 percent of daily calories need of our body ( which is around 16 grams of saturated fats for a person on a 2000 calories diet ) It has been found that eating a single serving of dried coconut can provide 100 percent of the total saturated fat required by our body.

(3) Potential Weight Gain

Moderate consumption of coconut helps in losing weight because of the presence of dietary fibers in it. These dietary fibers make us feel fuller for a longer time and decrease our urge to eat again and again, and thus controls overeating which is a major cause of obesity . High water content present in coconut also helps in weight loss .However, it is important to note that eating too many coconuts is bad for our health and can, in turn, lead to weight gain because of the high number of calories present in it. It has been found that eating an ounce serving of dried, unsweetened coconuts can provide around 187 calories and the same serving of sweetened coconut contains 129 calories. Similarly, one cup of undiluted coconut milk provides around 550 calories which are nearly one-third of the total calories required by our body per day. Because of the high calorific value of coconut ( sweetened and unsweetened) and coconut milk, it is important to enjoy them in small serving to reduces the risk of weight gain ( which can even lead to obesity ) and also for decreasing the risk of cardiovascular problem ( because of high saturated fats present in coconut )

(4) Too much Fiber Is Bad For Our Stomach

Coconut is a good source of dietary fibers and eating a single serving of one ounce of dried unsweetened coconut provides around 4.6 grams of dietary fiber ( which is around 12 to 18 percent of the recommended daily need for fiber ) . The dietary fiber present in coconut is good for our stomach as it helps in keeping our digestive system healthy by providing relief from constipation and other stomach problems. However, it is important to note that dietary fiber can be a problem to the individuals who in general eat a diet low in dietary fibers and whose stomach are not habitual of digesting dietary fibers. These individuals may face problems like diarrhea, gas, abdominal bloating. This side effect of coconut can easily be controlled by eating coconut in a very small quantity and gradually increasing the quantity ( but still keeping it within moderate quantity ) . Eating too much fiber can also cause problems like gas and bloating, diarrhea, constipation, dehydration and even weight gain and for this reason, also it is important to eat coconut in moderate quantity ( this applies even to healthy individuals who don’t face any trouble consuming food rich in dietary fibers )

(5) Can Cause Allergic Reactions

Coconut Is not at all suitable for the individuals who are allergic to tree nuts ( like walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashew etc ) as it has been found that those who are allergic to tree nut are highly likely to be allergic from coconut and in some extreme cases, these allergic reactions can be life-threatening. So, if you are allergic to tree nuts and stay away from it ( to save yourself from the allergic reactions ) then it is better for you to stay away from coconuts too.